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DA: Scorpions report covered up
27/03/2008 17:33 - (SA)
Cape Town - Releasing the Khampepe Commission's report on the Scorpions at this juncture will "cause prejudice" to South Africa's national security, says President Thabo Mbeki.
In a letter faxed to the Democratic Alliance on Wednesday night, Mbeki's office refused the DA's request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act for access to the report.
In the letter, Sibongile Sigodi, deputy information officer in the Presidency, said the Act allowed for a request to be refused if disclosure "will cause prejudice to the defence, security and international relations of the Republic".
Mbeki intended to release the report at "an appropriate time without compromising the defence, security and international relations of the Republic", she said.
DA leader Helen Zille had refused Sigodi's request on Tuesday for an extension of the 30-day deadline to comply with the DA's application - lodged on February 25 - to give Mbeki an opportunity to consider the matter before releasing the report.
"You have indicated your objection to such an extension. We are accordingly obligated to refuse, as we hereby do, access to the said record," Sigodi said.
'Smacks of a cover-up'
On Thursday, Zille said the DA had lodged an appeal in terms of the Act "in an attempt to force the President to release the full Khampepe Commission report".
"Invoking threats to national security smacks of a cover-up," she said.
The terms of reference for the Khampepe Commission were simply to look into the mandate and location of the Scorpions.
"I fail to see how releasing a report of this nature constitutes a threat to national security.
"The President's refusal to release the report is clearly motivated by internal party political pressures.
"We know that the President, judging from his Cabinet's endorsement of the Khampepe Commission's report, as well as comments that he has made directly to me, is against the dissolution of the Scorpions.
"The President also promised in Parliament on March 6 this year that the Khampepe report will be made public," Zille said.
Mbeki was obviously "buckling under pressure" from ANC President Jacob Zuma's "faction" to keep the report out of the public domain before legislation to disband the Scorpions came before the National Assembly.
It was this faction of the ruling party that had set the June 1 deadline to disband the unit and was working to rush the bill through Parliament, despite massive public opposition to the dissolution of the Scorpions.
Mbeki 'is powerless'
"By refusing to release the Khampepe Commission report, the President has again shown that he is a lame duck.
"He is powerless to make good on a promise to the South African people because of the internal battle raging in the ANC," she said.
It was in the public interest that the full report be released without delay.
MPs and the public should be armed with the full facts before the legislative process to decide the future of the Scorpions got underway in the next few weeks.
Zille said if the DA's appeal was rejected and Mbeki refused to release the report, the party would consider taking legal action to obtain the report.
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